Buying guide for Best electric pressure cookers
Cooking a delicious meal doesn't have to mean hours of simmering and stirring. An electric pressure cooker helps you cook faster and with less hands-on effort. If you just want to get a meal on the table quickly after a hard day, a pressure cooker might be the appliance you need. These cookers also use significantly less energy compared to conventional cooking methods, so they're great if you're trying to get a handle on your utility bills.
Safety is a common concern among pressure cooker buyers. You might have heard horror stories about exploding appliances from your older relatives, but today's pressure cookers have a range of built-in safety features to keep this from happening.
We looked at a variety of factors to choose our top picks. You'll probably want to consider capacity, to make sure there's enough room to cook for your whole household. Then there's versatility to consider. Many electric models can do way more than just cook food under pressure. Timer and delayed-start functions are also useful for busy cooks who want a meal ready to eat when they get home.
The Instant Pot Ultra is our top choice because it is not only a pressure cooker, but it also has nine other functions, including steaming, sauteing, slow cooking and making yogurt. If you’ve ever wanted to bake a cake in a pressure cooker, you can do that in this one. It can do everything you want from a pressure cooker and more.
Expert tip
Electric pressure cookers allow you more options for timed and remote-start cooking than stovetop pressure cookers. If you’d like this extra functionality, consider an electric model over a stovetop one.
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Best electric pressure cookers
If cabinet space is at a premium, this multicooker replaces 10 kitchen appliances. It works as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker, cake maker, egg cooker, saute pan, steamer, warmer and sterilizer. Of course, it's unlikely anyone would own all these appliances individually, but it still makes this cooker a super versatile choice.
You can choose from a number of presets, including beans, soup and stew. Then you can further tailor the settings on the LED screen to cook meals just how you want them. It can take a few tries to get the hang of the settings (or a thorough read of the manual, if you have the time and inclination). However, once you do, using the Instant Pot Ultra is simple, and it saves a lot of time in the kitchen. And thanks to the Delay Start and Keep Warm settings, you have more options when you serve dinner.
The Megachef pressure cooker offers the best bang for your buck, proving you don't have to dip into your savings to get a decent cooker. It has a 6-quart capacity, which is neither excessively large nor restrictively small, making it a great choice for most households.
If you don't want to spend too much time learning the ins and outs of cooking times, the presets include beans, soup and rice, giving you reliable results with little effort. The stainless steel cooking pot is durable and can't get scratched the way that nonstick pots can. What's more, the calibration lines inside the pot take the guesswork out of measurements.
You can choose high or low pressure settings, so if you already have favorite recipes that list specific settings, there should be a suitable option.
Most of us have to make sacrifices in the kitchen due to space, but with this appliance there's no need to choose between a pressure cooker and an air fryer. It produces flawlessly crispy fries and can also bake and roast foods. Plus, it does what you expect from a pressure cooker, such as quickly cooking grains, dried beans and stews.
You have two size options. The 6.5-quart model is great for the average home cook, while the 8-quart model is better for large households or people who like to cook in bigger batches. It's easy to switch between presets on this model, as well as adjust the cook time and temperature. In fact, the controls are fairly intuitive, which is perfect if you dislike appliances that come with a steep learning curve.
With its choice between slow cooking and pressure cooking, there are plenty of meals you can prepare in this appliance. It's simple to switch between high and low pressure, and the presets include rice, soup and beans. The Keep Warm function gives you some leeway between when the food is done cooking and when it's time to serve. The quick-release valve makes it faster to unlock the lid and get the food on the table once it's ready.
The nonstick-coated cooking pot makes cleanup easy. It's also dishwasher safe, which saves time compared to washing it by hand and is perfect for anyone who dislikes doing the dishes in the sink.
Part electric pressure cooker and part slow cooker, this versatile appliance lets you tailor a wide range of settings for optimal results. If other cookers you've tried haven't given you enough scope for adjustment, this model should tick the right boxes. You can choose between 11 pressure cooking settings and high or low slow-cooking functions. In addition to using the presets, it's possible to create custom programs to get the results you want.
Dual sensors in the top and bottom of the appliance monitor and control pressure and temperature for precise results. The LED display screen lets you choose your settings and keep an eye on the cooking process, so you know when it's building pressure, cooking or releasing steam.
While electric pressure cookers are great, after a while you might get bored with the same old soups, stews and grains. This model also works as an air fryer, so you can cook crispy, crunchy foods as well as delectably moist ones. It's effectively a mini oven as well as a pressure cooker and slow cooker, making it exceptionally versatile.
Unlike some pressure cookers that double as air fryers, this one has a single lid, so there's no need to find storage space for an additional accessory. You just remove one part from the lid when you want to use it as an air fryer, broiler or oven. The large LED screen and control panel make it easy to switch between presets and adjust the settings as needed.
You probably already own a smartphone, and more people are trying out smart home systems, so why not have a smart pressure cooker? This one is WiFi and Bluetooth compatible, so you can explore settings and control it via an app. Also with the app you have access to more than 1,000 presets, giving you even more options for whipping up tasty meals.
In addition to cooking with pressure, this appliance can slow cook, steam and saute. The saute function is great for recipes that start with browning onions and garlic, adding more depth to the flavor compared to just tossing them in with the rest of the ingredients. The included steamer basket and steaming rack are great for vegetables, and the cooking pot's nonstick coating makes cleaning easy.
Expert tip
When choosing your electric pressure cooker, make sure your storage solution allows for the height and width of the cooker. Some cookers have a hinged lid, preventing lid removal for a shorter profile during storage.
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What to know before buying an electric pressure cooker
How electric pressure cookers work
Steam is the key “ingredient” used by a pressure cooker to prepare food. First, a liquid, such as water or broth, is heated in the sealed inner pot along with your food, creating steam.
The sealed inner pot leads to the formation of steam and, therefore, heat and pressure. The high heat and pressure cook the food inside. Different recipes require different levels of pressure.
Notably, before you can remove the food, the built-up pressure must be carefully released from the appliance. This is done through a quick-release function, a natural release process in which the pot cools before the lid is removed, or a cold-water release method in which you place the cooker under running water.
Capacity
Too large or too small, either option can be equally annoying. You don't want to find your chosen model isn't big enough to cook for your entire household, nor do you want a cooker that's so big it's unwieldy.
Electric pressure cookers range in capacity from 2 to 12 quarts, with most in the 4- to 6-quart range. If you’re only cooking for yourself or one other person, you can get by with a smaller appliance. But if you’re cooking for six to eight people, you might want to choose a model that holds 8 quarts or more.
The advantage of a larger electric pressure cooker is that it can hold more food, but there are a couple of downsides.
First, the larger the unit, the more difficult it will be to store. Keep your available cabinet space in mind when choosing your pressure cooker, or you might need to leave it out on the countertop.
Second, larger electric pressure cookers take longer to reach the right temperature and pressure, so it could take slightly longer to cook food in them.
Versatility
Electric pressure cookers are designed to cook food more quickly than is possible on a stovetop or in the oven, but some models can do much more than that. It isn’t uncommon to find electric pressure cookers that double as slow cookers. Some can steam and saute vegetables. Some can even make yogurt from scratch. You can also find multi-cookers that act as less common appliances, such as air fryers, sous vide cookers and dehydrators.
Safety features
Pressure cookers have come a long way since your grandma's appliance of yesteryear that could explode if you so much as looked at it wrong. Still, safety is paramount when choosing and using a high-pressure cooker.
When in use, the cooker is full of pressurized steam, which could cause severe burns if it were to open unexpectedly. Fortunately, modern electric pressure cookers have a number of safety features designed to prevent this. These include locking lids, vents that release excess steam in a safe and controlled manner and handles that are cool to the touch. Your cooker should also have some type of pressure sensor that lets you know if the unit is up to pressure or if the pressure is too high.
Electric pressure cooker features
Materials
Electric pressure cookers are made of stainless steel or aluminum. Aluminum cookers are lightweight and more affordable than stainless steel, but they’re not as durable. If you plan to use your machine often, you would be better off investing in a durable stainless steel unit that will hold up well over time.
Also pay attention to the handles. These should be made of sturdy plastic or another material that doesn’t conduct heat so you don’t need to worry about accidentally burning yourself.
Ease of use
You shouldn't feel like you need a degree in engineering just to use a kitchen appliance. It’s nice to have a cooker that's easy to operate, especially if you’ve never owned one before. It should include a user manual with instructions and have simple pressure settings and temperature controls on the front of the unit.
Some pressure cookers have special controls and presets for certain types of foods. For example, if you want to cook rice or stew, you can just press a button or two without having to guess which temperature or pressure setting to use.
Ease of cleaning
Nobody wants to spend precious time scrubbing their appliances, so it's a good idea to choose a cooker that's easy to clean. Some have a nonstick inner pot to speed up the process.
However, in the eyes of some home cooks, a nonstick pot isn’t always the best idea. The reason is that nonstick coatings can be prone to chipping and scratching, especially in the high temperatures required for pressure cooking. This can cause the nonstick coating to peel off the pot and into your food.
If you opt for an appliance with a nonstick coating, handle it with care, and check the coating periodically to make sure it isn’t peeling or flaking.
An alternative to using a nonstick liner is to purchase an inner pot made of dishwasher-safe stainless steel. In this case, all you need to do is rinse out the pot, put it in the dishwasher and place it back in the pressure cooker for your next meal. But again, you must keep in mind the size of the appliance. You might have trouble fitting a large pot in the dishwasher, especially when it’s already full of dishes.
Timer
Who doesn't enjoy coming through the door to a home-cooked meal (even if an appliance has done the cooking)? Perhaps the most useful feature offered by these units is the programmable timer. This works well if you want a pressure cooker that will work on your meal while you’re away. It’s a lot like a slow cooker. Just put the ingredients in the pot and set the timer for when you want it to start. By the time you get home, your meal is ready.
Expert tip
Even if your pressure cooker’s exterior doesn’t get splattered during use, wipe it down with a damp cloth every time – even the feet – to ensure sanitation for the next use.
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Tips
- Read the instruction manual carefully before using your new appliance. Safety matters, especially when you’re dealing with high pressure and high temperatures.
- Don’t fill your pressure cooker more than two-thirds full. This is a general rule to prevent food from overflowing.
- Never attempt to open the pressure cooker while it’s in use. Unplug it and release the pressure first.
- Always put liquid in your electric pressure cooker before use. Your cooker can’t function correctly without liquid. You should usually add about half to one cup of liquid every time you use it.
- Wipe down the exterior after each use. This ensures it’s hygienic, even if it doesn't look dirty.
FAQ
Q. How much do electric pressure cookers cost?
A. They range in price from around $50 to over $200. The price you pay depends on the size of the unit and the functions it can perform.
If you want to invest in a multi-cooker that can replace your slow cooker and maybe even a rice cooker, plan to spend at least $75 and probably closer to $125 or $150. The priciest of these cookers have LCD displays, a multitude of cooking functions and the ability to connect to Wi-Fi for smart food prep options.
Q. Is an electric pressure cooker better than a traditional stovetop pressure cooker?
A. One option isn't necessarily better than the other; it's more about your needs and preferences. Electric pressure cookers have features like timers and smart apps. These are functions you simply don't get with traditional stovetop pressure cookers. However, some stovetop models have higher pressure settings and are more affordably priced.
Q. Do electric pressure cookers use a lot of electricity?
A. Although they pull around 1,000 watts of power, they're actually extremely energy efficient compared to other cooking methods. Because of the shorter cooking time, electric pressure cookers can use as much as 70% less energy compared to cooking in the oven or on the stovetop.
